California Coastal Commission Rejects SpaceX Rocket Launch Proposal: Musk Reacts (Image:X/elonmusk)
The California Coastal Commission has rejected a proposal allowing SpaceX to launch up to 50 rockets annually from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County on Friday. Commissioner Gretchen Newsom cited Elon Musk‘s divisive social media posts and his politics as key concerns stating, “Elon Musk is hopping about the country, spewing and tweeting political falsehoods and attacking FEMA while claiming his desire to help hurricane victims with free Starlink access”.
🌊 @TheCACoast Commission 1, SpaceX 0 💥California regulators dump on Elon Musk in rejecting SpaceX rocket launches https://t.co/f7fKeuB6Sv via @politico
— Gretchen Newsom 💫 (@GretchenNewsom) October 11, 2024
Musk’s online behaviour wasn’t the sole reason for the rejection, however, the commission also classified SpaceX launches as military operations which enables the company to bypass environmental permit rules. This classification and the potential harm to local wildlife and beaches were major factors in the decision along with his divisive social media posts.
The California Commission stated that historically, the Coastal Commission and the Space Force have clashed over environmental concerns and last year, the Department of Defense requested increasing SpaceX launches from six to 36 annually which the commission approved with environmental safety recommendations.
The Air Force promised to address commission concerns by reducing sonic booms and enhancing wildlife monitoring. Nonetheless, the commission voted 6-4 against the proposal with several members expressing concerns over Musk’s presidential race involvement.
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However, Musk has responded strongly calling the decision “incredibly inappropriate” and announced plans to sue the commission for violating his First Amendment rights. He argued that his X posts are unrelated to the Coastal Commission’s concerns and stated that he would approach the court on Tuesday since the court is closed on Monday.
Incredibly inappropriate. What I post on this platform has nothing to do with a “coastal commission” in California!
Filing suit against them on Monday for violating the First Amendment. https://t.co/bDgFPTdNal
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 13, 2024
*Tuesday, since the court is closed on Monday
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 13, 2024
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